Adjustable spark screen



Feb. 21, N33. J. A. JOHN SON ADJUSTABLE SPARK SCREEN Filed Oct. 19, 1932 Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN A; :roimson, or cmwronnsvrnnn, INDIANA, Assrenon'ro NATIONAL sue-rm a snavron CORPORATION, or GRAWFORDSVILLE, INDIANA, A conronnmron ADJUSTABLE SPARK SURE-EN Application filed October 19, 1932. Serial No, 638,520.

This invention relates to the art of screens adapted to be applied to a flue outlet opening as a means for preventing the escape of sparks from the flue of a size such as would create a fire hazard should the sparks drop upon an inflammable type of roofing. The present invention relates particularly to a structure adapted to be applied to that type of flue outlet wherein the outlet openings are from the sides thereof rather than from the completely consumed. In the case of the smaller burning particles escaping from the o screen, the screen is so designed that the size of such escaping particles will be such that these smaller particles will be completely consumed or will have gone out by the time they strike the roof below so that there will not be suflicient heat generated on the roof to raise the surrounding roof to the kindling temperature.

Also the structure is so designed that should the screen become filled in with heavy deposit of soot such as may possibly occur in the burning of bituminous coal, particularly in damp weather, the efiective flue opening will not be decreased in area thereby and sulficient area is provided through the structure to permit the gases to travel therethrough without a reduction in draft.

It generally occurs that the roof over the 4 top of the flue having side outlets will be irregular in that the vertical edges thereof do not always alignwith the vertical sides of the flue with the result that some of the masonry will either project beyond the flue wall or be set back from it. It is an object of y in e tion to provide a screen structure w ich may be so adjusted. as to take care of. such irregularities without the necessity of a ing t ut the st uc re in any way and withou leaving gaps or other openings be tween the structure and the flue as would otherwise be the case.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following description thereof, with reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which i Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a flue to which my invention'is applied;

Fig. 2, a fragmentary end elevation of my invention as applied to the line;

Fig, 3, a topplan view of a screen embody? ing theinvention, and i Fig. 4:, a side elevation of a screen diagrammatically showing the various adjustments.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views,

Referring to the drawing, I Show a conentional type of flue 10 of, the .so-called Dutch type wherein the two side walls of the flue are carried upwardly and thence brought together at the top to leave end openings, the lower parts of which are each rectangular and theupper parts A-shaped. lhe upper ends of the side walls are usually oined by the bricks 11 and 12 leaned inwardly to cover the flue.

I form a basket 13 open across the top end, having an outer end Wall, two side walls and a bottom, but 0 en entirely across the inner vertical side, 11 the outer end Wall of this basket 13 is formed a horizontally disposed opening formed by slitting the wall horizontally across and vertically at the ends of the horizontal slit and bending inwardly a flap 14 thus cut from the wall. e baske may he made of any perforate ma erial such as woven wire or expanded metal. such as is commonly mployed as lath for plastering. The lower and side edges of the flap 14: as well as the cut 1 edge remaining across the end wall are left with the rough or raw edges of the severed material projecting whereby the entire margin of the opening through the end wall is rovided with spikes or projecting teeth w ich would serve to impale or break-up particles of soot attempting to pass around under the fin. 14.

form a second member generally designated b the numeral 15 out of the erforate materi'a to have its upper portion shaped to conform to but to be somewhat larger than the opening under the bricks 11 and 12. Intum dfl naes fo m ng s w s a ar d from the sloping edges of the rnem l iervlfi to define a marginal flange therearound and the outer wall between the flanges is carried downwardly to extend well below the base line of the bricks 11 and 12, the outer inwardly ex tendin flange being carried downwardly from t e sloping edges of the wall above to extend inwardl fromthe vertical walls below; Preferabl y'the outer wall of this member15is so formed as to have the wires, in the case of thewoven material, extend diag onally whereby the width of the wall may altered by pressing in or pulling out on the vertical edges thereof. a

' This upper member 15 has its lower portion inserted to within the open end of the basket 13 and is there supported by means of bolts 16 and .17 being carried through o enings in the sidewalls of he basket 13 an openings in the vertically isposed flanges of the member 15, one bolt on each side being sufiicient. The width of the flange around the member 15 is appreciably less than the width of theside walls of the basket 13so that the lower end of the member 15when inserted within the basket 13 does not completely fill in the top opening of the basket 13 but leaves an appreciable opening between the member 15 and the ',outer wall of the basket 13. It is to be understood that the under side of the member 15 is left entirely open.

r In applying the structure to the chimney or "flue 10, the basket 13 is brought up a ainst the flue tohave its lower edge position horizontally across but somewhat below the lower edge of the opening into the flue,the basket being preferably'lowered to have the lower edge of the flap 14 approximately in the same ,elevation as that of the lower edge of the flue opening. The up r member 15 is adjusted edges of the flanges about the member abut 'the'bricks 11 and 12. The bolts 16 and 17 "are inserted to align to member 15 and retain it snugly against the bricks asa'bove outlined.

The vertically disposed flanges on the sides of themember 15 are preferably cut back somewhat, Fig. 1, so as to permit the sloping flanges advancedbeyond the vertical edge-of f Jthe basket-13,asindicated by the solid lines 'claims. vertically and horizontally to be brought up against the bricks 11 and 12 tohave the inner p a perforatebasket open at the top and inner in Fig. 4, should the bricks 11 be back from the vertical side of the flue. Should the bricks 11 extend outwardly beyond the side of the flue, then the upper member 15 may be adjusted back to some such osition as indicated by the dash lines in Fig. 4. Also the two members may be adjusted vertically in relation to each other to conform and cover over openings having varying heights. The basket 13 and upper member 15 are made to'overlap the bricks around the flue opening an appreciable extent, suflicient in any event to take care of any variation in size of, the, opening inthe horizontal .ftion. Both openings from thei 'fl ue '10' are covered in the manner as" above described and vthetwo screens are fixed in position by any suitable means, here shown as by the wires 18 and 19 passing around the sides of the flue to pull thetwo units thereagainst.

"'Thedraft within the flue will generally carry particles of soot and the like out through the side openings in the general direction of the arrow as indicated in Fig. 1, whereby the particles first are caught and retarded by the upper member 15,wherein the impact of the particles therea ainst will tend to break them up and allow t e smaller ones to escape while the larger particles will continue on downwardly around the under side of the member 15 to be well down'to within the basket 13to eitherstrike the bottom thereof or be whirled around underthe influence of the draft escaping from the flue against the outer wall of the basket to become further broken-up. In the event that the perforations through the basket and the member 15 become filled in, then the normal draft of the flue will not be interfered with since the gases may esca efrom under the member 15 and up from t e top of the basket '13, with the auxiliary opening under the flap 14. Winds blowing across the flue and the screens thereon, may at times enter through the openings under the flap 14 toaid materially in keeping the basketsclean. I

While I have herein described my invention in one particular form, it' is obvious that structural changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and I, therefore, do not desire to 'be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by thefollowing I claim: 1 t 1. In a spark screen for a flue side-outlet,

side, and an upper member telescoping with the basket and havinginturned flanges less in width than that of the basket, a wall extending from the outer side of the member well down within the basket to form a partition thereacross with an opening thereunder.

2. In a spark screen for a flue side-outlet, a perforate basketopen at the top and inner side, and an upper member telescoping with the basket and having inturned flanges less in width than that of the basket, a wall extending from the outer side of the member well down within the basket to form a partition thereacross with an opening thereunder, and means adjustably retaining the member in selected positions in relation to the basket.

3. In a spark screen for a flue side-outlet, a perforate basket open at the top and inner side, and an upper member telescoping with the basket and having inturned flanges less in width than that of the basket, a wall extending from the outer side of the member Well down within the basket to form a partition thereacross with an opening thereunder, said basket having a horizontal opening across its outer wall and a flap inturned above the opening.

4. In a spark screen for a side outlet opening, a lower screen adapted to fit about a part of the flue opening, and an upper screen adapted to fit about the remainder of the opening, one of said screens being less in width than the other, and means adjustably uniting the two screens, said screens being positioned to aflord a tortuous passage across one screen, thereunder, and back across the other screen.

5. In a spark screen for a side outlet opening, a lower screen adapted to fit about a part of the flue opening, and an upper screen adapted to fit about the remainder of the opening, one of said screens being less in width than the other, and means adjustably uniting the two screens, said screens being positioned to afford a tortuous passage across one screen, thereunder, and back across the other screen, said lower screen having a horizontal opening thereacross near its under side, and a deflecting flap over said opening.

6. In a spark screen for a side outlet opening, a lower screen adapted to fit about a part of the opening, an upper screen adapted to fit about the remainder of said opening, said screens telescoping one with the other, said upper screen having a transverse wall extending down within said lower screen as a bailie, and means adjustably securing the screens together.

7 In a spark screen for a side outlet opening, a lower screen adapted to fit about a part of the opening, an upper screen adapted to fit about the remainder of said opening, said screens telescoping one with the other, said upper screen having a transverse wall extending down within said lower screen as a baflle, and means adjustably securing the screens together, said upper screen having in-turned flanges, and said wall having similar in-turned flanges but less in width.

8. In a spark screen for a side outlet opening, a lower screen adapted to fit about a part of the opening, an upper screen adapted 

